Leaders of the TPLF…

Leaders of the TPLF, late last week, completed their highly anticipated central committee meeting, in Meqelle town. If there were any surprises, it only came from the complete absence of any whatsoever, gossip disclosed.

They have decided on the interim agenda of focusing on the growth blueprint of the ruling partly, aka the Growth & Transformation Plan (GTP), and what the regional authorities have accomplished as their part of the bargain, gossip disclosed. That was pretty much expected, gossip claims. If there is anything new, perhaps it is the leaders’ decision to promote TPLF’s 35 years of history and accomplishments, as well as the place their ideological father, Meles Zenawi, had during his life time, claims gossip.

When it comes to individual leaders, however, they appear to have reached a wider consensus than simply sticking to the original plan of succession designed two and half years ago, gossip says. Thus, at least three veteran members of the political bureau of the TPLF will likely be replaced by others, who are relatively younger, gossip disclosed. Politicians, such as Tsegaye Berhe, head of the National Security Council; Abadi Zemo, Ethiopia’s ambassador to Sudan; and Tewodros Hagos, head of Tigray Regional State’s information bureau, are expected to leave the politburo, while Alem G. Wahid, head of the region’s central zone, and Kiros Bitew, one of the two deputy chiefs of the regional administration, alongside Beyene Mikru, are likely to be promoted from their current membership of the central committee, gossip disclosed.

Kiros, who was elected to the central committee of the TPLF in 2001, has served the regional administration as head of the central zone, as well as in the information and cultural, and capacity building offices. It is Alem who has been late to be elected to the central committee, beginning in 2008. Although some in the TPLF question the likelihood of such assumptions, others expect sweeping changes to take place in the composition of the central committee, gossip claims.

If the turn of events with the TPLF leaders, who are now to undertake their congress, beginning on Monday, March 18, serves as any indication, there is hardly much change from the ruling EPRDF, when it conducts its ninth convention in the town of Bahir Dar, claims gossip. This follows similar congresses held by all members of the coalition – ANDM, OPDO and SEPRDM – in their respective capitals.

Yet, their veterans of the armed struggle are expected to give way to the emergence of younger EPRDFites, after being relieved of senior positions in the federal government, according to gossip. This is due to an agreement made among senior leaders of the party to stay on the course of the succession plan, despite the loss of their leader in between, claims gossip.

Although the convention will see the party nominate Hailemariam Desalegn for the chairmanship election, there will hardly be any change to the office he has been holding since last October, gossip disclosed.

A structural change of sorts is highly anticipated in the Administration of Addis Abeba, gossip claims. Not only will the current Mayor, Kuma Demekssa, be relived from his duties. The Revolutionary Democrats brought their relatively younger, but senior federal government officials to the city council, after they tendered their resignation request to the federal parliament, gossip disclosed.

That could perhaps be because, not only do they want to expand their pool of people for the top office in the city administration, but also they have a desire to see more than one mayor running the capital, gossip disclosed. The political capital ofAfrica, no doubt, is going through major uplifts; there are far too many areas where the daily attention of a lone mayor would be unlikely, gossip observed.

EPRDFite flagship policies in Addis Abeba, such as; infrastructure and housing constructions, land administration and allocation, and promotion of SMEs are huge tasks on their own, according to gossip. Appointing one official for each of these sectors, perhaps under the rank of mayor, organised and coordinated by someone like a high commissioner to the city, could be an idea in the offing, gossip disclosed.